On the front of this month’s newsletter we are talking about the planned trip to the Holy Land in November 2018. Lawanda and I have led this trip 11 times. I must confess, each time we go we see something new and learn even more. I hope you will take this opportunity to walk in the footsteps of Jesus as we tour the land of the Bible. It will be a trip you will never forget.

I have had different people ask me two questions over and over again:

1)Is it safe to go to Israel?

2)Is this price too high?

So, please allow me to answer both questions. First, Israel is one of the safest nations on earth for tourists. I know the TV talked about terrorist who killed 3 Jewish people last week. . . .my TV tells me there were that many people killed in Memphis last night. Both Jews and Arabs depend upon tourists for their livelihood. While no place on earth is absolutely safe, I have never felt unsafe in Israel. Ask the people who have gone with us, I think they will agree.

Second, about the cost. . . .$4,275 sounds like a lot of money to me too, until I did some checking. Tim Wildmon, from AFA, is leading a trip next year. His cost is $4,000 from New York. Our trip is $4,275 ($4,125 if you pay your deposit by October) from Memphis. This is a savings of hundreds of dollars. Plus, the normal trips only visit 6 of the biblical sites outside of Jerusalem. Our trip visits more than twice that many, and there is no extra cost. If you want more information about the trip, come to themeeting on Sunday, August 13, at 5pm. I will be leading this meeting and answering all your questions. Coming to this meeting does not commit you to go on the trip.

Speaking of Israel, as I was going through my desk in preparation for my retirement, I found a box of genuine ancient widow’s mites. I had purchased these several years ago on one of our trips. One of our members had asked me to bring them some, and I just bought some for me too. These are actual widow’s mites from the time of Christ. They were hand picked for me by Hezi, our guide. If you would like to purchase one of these widow’s mites for yourself, I would sell them for $30 each or 2 coins for $50. They come with a certificate of authenticity. This is less than half their “book value” in the world of ancient coins. I will let you pick your own coin from those I have. Contact me or Tracy if you are interested.